I saved Ann

Last Saturday, I brought Ann to attend her friend’s birthday party. This girl was in the same school, same class as Ann for the three years we were in Shanghai. They are the best of friends. It was a poolside birthday party. Ann is not a great swimmer. She could only swim very well and confidently if she could feel the floor of the pool. That swimming pool has a 1.6m side and a 1.2m side.

I was catching up with some ex-Shanghai mamas and my eyes did not leave Ann. Suddenly, from far, I could see her head bobbing up and down. For a while, I though she was playing and for a split second my thought changed to “she was in difficulty!” I ran from where I was straight to the pool and I could hear her faint voice “help, help!” I shouted at a lady beside her to grab Ann. If not for the Grace of God, the mercy of God, Ann would have gone.

I actually wanted to leave Ann at the party and come back for her later but something just made me change my mind. I couldn’t imagine what would happened if I had done that.

That night, I had the most freakish dream. I dreamt I was in a classroom filled with kids and there was a girl who was disturbing a boy. I dragged both of them out of the classroom and had a talk with them, the girl quickly ran and she jumped off the school building. I shocked! I quickly looked out and saw paramedics attending to her and she was alive!

The spouse interpreted it as Ann was the girl and the paramedic was the lady. He said I was traumatised by the swimming incident. Absolutely.

What really baffled me was that there were other residents in the pool but no one saw that she was in trouble and no one heard her. Now, you know why female animals guard their young fiercely. Never leave your kids alone and never assume anything! Even if they are great swimmers, water safety and being able to swim are two very different issues.